The Life of a Pilot- Interview with Dwight Albers

About age 10, my mom believed I needed some culture and sophistication, and determined piano lessons were the best means to accomplish that.  I had absolutely no interest in playing piano.  But I quickly honed into the fact that my piano teacher was a pilot and owned one of those small planes I watched frequently.  Some weeks later, he offered to take me and my dad for a ride.  He put me in the front seat with him, and after takeoff we leveled off flying along the beach.  He handed over the controls to me and gave me a few instructions as to how to keep the airplane level and headed in the direction we were flying.  I consider that experience a watershed moment in fixing in my mind what I wanted to do when I grew up.

I was a bit young to act upon that interest at that very time, but even benefited from a neighbor who gave me a pilot study guide.  A student pilot is allowed to make his first solo flight once he or she turns 16.  I began to take flying lessons shortly before my 16th birthday, hoping to be prepared to solo on that birthday.  I missed it by a couple of days due to bad weather.  I then continued my training so that I could take an FAA checkride on my 17th birthday to earn my Private Pilot’s License.  I must include that this was only possible because of supportive parents who were willing to gauge the seriousness of my dream, and recognize that I was applying myself in a way that it was not just a fleeting hobby or interest.

Over the next 18 months, I continued to work on additional qualifications and experience earning an Instrument Rating, Multi-Engine Rating, and Commercial License after I turned 18.  I then went to college at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. E-RAU is the most widely recognized aviation training university worldwide. During college, I earned additional Flight Instructor certifications and gave flight instruction to other students.  I ultimately earned a B.S. in Aeronautical Science.

After college, I went to work flying small aircraft doing anything from flying charter passengers, hauling freight, medical transport, aerial photographers to wildlife surveyors.  In 1984 I was fortunate to have a connection that was able to recommend me for a position at Continental Airlines.  A few weeks later, I was hired as a Flight Engineer on a B-727,  and began only days after my 22nd birthday.

In fairly quick progression, I moved to First Officer on the B-727 and then to Captain on the B-727 when I was 25.  Since that time I have flown as Captain on the DC-9, B-737, and currently on the B-787 Dreamliner.  Also during this time I served nearly 10 years as  Line Check Airman, supervising pilots in their first hands-on experience with an airplane that is new to them upon completion of their simulator training.  I also spent several years teaching Captain Leadership and facilitating Human Factors training.  In 2010, Continental Airlines merged with United Airlines. In February 2014, I will begin my 31st year with the combined airline.

I have always tried to remain humble about my accomplishments and status.  I recognize that none of it would have been possible without a piano teacher, my parents, a friend who recommended me and some very lucky timing.  Timing is critical, because in the airline industry advancement is based upon seniority.  You can’t get ahead by being a ‘better’ pilot, or cozying up to your boss.  Many were more qualified than I when they were hired, but are ‘junior’ to me due to being hired after I was.

Dwight Albers: Health is paramount for an airline pilot for a number of reasons.  Before a student can even get a Student Pilot’s License, he or she must submit to an FAA designated Flight Surgeon for an exam.  As levels of pilot responsibility increase, the specifics of the exam and its frequency are increased.  But beyond that, the professional pilot can expect to have duty days as long as 18 hours.  Basic fitness and fundamental physical endurance are critical.  General fatigue has a direct correlation to physical fitness.  The better fit an individual is, the onset of fatigue is likely to be delayed compared to a generally unhealthy person.  One’s ability to think, reason, and make sound decisions is also directly correlated to one’s alertness and fatigue level.  So at the end of that 14 or 16 or 18 hour day, when an operational situation deteriorates and demands expert analysis and decision making, the state of physical health and fitness of the crew could be a factor in determining the safe outcome of a flight.

Dwight Albers: There are several challenges in remaining fit, rested, and healthy while traveling.  The first is that the job itself is very sedentary when actually in flight.  There is limited opportunity to stand up, stretch, move about while serving as a pilot.  Our departures from the cockpit are limited to operational or physiological requirements.  Long haul flying can be as long as 16+ hours, and there is very little opportunity for any form of meaningful exercise during that time.  Stretching or the use of easily portable devices such as  resistance bands are about the only options an on duty pilot has.  Secondly, it is more difficult to be selective about one’s diet when on the road.  If you are away from home more than a day, it is not practical to try to carry with you fresh food that requires refrigeration.  Once in flight, you are limited to eating what is available on board.  Although meals are boarded for crewmembers on longer flights, management’s idea of a “nutritious meal” is more akin to a UNICEF distribution than what an average, active, healthy man would choose.  But you can’t work for 12 hours without eating, so often you eat what is available.  Thirdly, the fatigue of long duty days, the rigors of being as many as 12 time zones away from your natural body time, and variable accommodations all make for getting proper rest difficult. Everyone’s body clock is different, so you have to determine for yourself when you can best rest and plan your activity and sleep so that you can begin your next duty day well rested.

Dwight Albers: On the road, most of the layovers that my schedule has are at least 18 hours in length, and often 24+ hours.  That affords plenty of time to get rested, nourished, and have time to seek out a gym in or around the hotel where I stay.  One of the first things I do if at a new layover hotel is inquire about the hotel’s gym, and/or nearby commercial gyms.  Some hotels have very nice gyms, but most are marginal at best. Some hotels have guest privileges at nearby gyms, or offer discounted passes.  Rarely does a layover of 18 or more hours pass without a trip to the gym.  I have learned to make the best of the facilities available and modify my workout to take best advantage of the equipment available.  I also carry protein bars and shakes with me to supplement my regular meals.

Dwight Albers: Probably the least favorite is tolerating the infinite amount of corporate drivel that one has to deal with.  Through two corporate bankruptcies, 4 mergers and acquisitions, I cannot even begin to count or remember all of the CEO’s in 30 years.  I just want to fly airplanes.  I don’t really care about their politically correct sensitivity training, what I can and can’t post on Facebook, or why corporate America seems compelled to sponsor a gay pride parade, when during the last contract negotiation they cried that they couldn’t spare another dime to pay us.

HFR: Any funny and/or interesting story to share?Dwight Albers: Fortunately, the few stories I share are not overwhelmingly sensational or hair raising as some people ask, and I prefer to keep it that way.  Some pilots seem to claim bragging rights by the volume or severity of the incidents they have experienced.  Either they are very unlucky, or have made very poor decisions or both, and I’d prefer to keep my distance from them.  Unfortunately for all of us in life, luck does play a part.  They say a pilot starts his career with an empty bag of experience and a full bag of luck.  The key is to filling your bag of experience before emptying your bag of luck.  The older I get, the “more scared I get”, so I try to avoid drama and keep myself out of situations that could turn out badly. I think when you get really old they call that wisdom. I think I have been fairly lucky having accumulated nearly 24,000 flight hours and not a single engine failure or necessity to shut an engine down in flight, nor any catastrophic mechanical failure. Aircraft of the 21st century are amazingly reliable.